Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to acknowledge in the parliament the importance of the Afghan Youth Cricket Support Organisation and the work of Coburg West Primary School students in trying to attract donations to support this important organisation.

The Afghan Youth Cricket Support Organisation provides an opportunity for young Afghans to pick up a bat or a ball instead of a gun. Coburg West Primary School is trying to get donations so as to ship a container of cricket equipment to Afghanistan with the intention of influencing Afghan children in a constructive way. Grassroots campaigns such as this offer support for families whose resources are consumed by everyday necessities and who, if the Taliban are present in their area, are in constant fear of their lives.

For women and girls in Afghanistan things can be particularly difficult, as they face discrimination or, worse, are the victims of outrageous crimes such as acid attacks. I applaud the work of the Afghan Institute of Learning. It has been helping Afghans to lift themselves above the devastation of war by providing education, training, health care and health education, and by empowering women with new skills and by promoting women's rights.

I applaud the efforts and unselfishness of the students of Coburg West Primary School in wanting to make a difference to the lives of young Afghans through their support for the Afghan Youth Cricket Support Organisation. It is inspirational, and I am very proud to see young people in my electorate doing their bit to make the world a better place.